Reflections of Beauty

Resolutions good enough to eat

2012-01-06T22:50:00.000+01:00

I'm not that big a fan of New Year's Resolutions.

But I've adopted one which I think is going to work out well.

I suggested to my wife Carol that we try one new vegan recipe each week. Just as a way to expand our horizons.

And the good news is she agreed, since she happens to also be the chef.

So here she is with our first new recipe.

It was a nice pasta meal with a white wine sauce. Smelled and tasted delicious.

See, now that is a resolution that is good enough to eat.

I'm thinking this resolution might be an easy one to keep. Thanks Sweetie.

Haiku reflection

2011-11-21T08:42:00.003+01:00

Canvas on a lake, Bärensee, Stuttgart, Germany, November 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 51mm, exposure 1/60 sec @ 4.2 ISO 200, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Rippling water

A shimmering masterpiece

Each moment anew

On being kind

2011-09-25T06:06:00.003+02:00

Buddha Frog, Böblingen, Germany, September 2011,
Canon PowerShot S90, 35mm focal length equiv. 28mm, exposure 1/125 sec @ f4, ISO 80, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This morning there was a fly buzzing around my office; an uninvited guest from last night's (wonderful) dinner on the veranda, with the door propped open so Frito could come and go.

Flies really annoy Frito. He snaps at them whenever they buzz or land on him. He'll actually get up and go to bed just to avoid a fly. Carol's not too keen on them either, but mostly because they annoy Frito.

Let's see -- flies eat sh*t, they can carry disease, lay their eggs on something over-ripe in the kitchen, and incessantly bounce themselves against the window trying to get out. I mean, what good are they? And where is that fly-swatter anyway?

Sound familiar? Are these common thoughts for you?

Well, I've now come to a different perspective. Since I made my intention sometime ago not to harm any living creature, I now see this fly not as an annoyance, but simply as a trapped animal trying to get free. First of all, that feels better. One less annoyance. Then I do what I can to free it, which really isn't very hard (just a cup and stiff piece of paper, and he's pretty easy to catch against the window). Now take him outside, and let him go.

And you know what? It makes me smile. A deep and satisfied smile. I just helped another being.

It's funny -- I find I've become very sensitive to all beings, and it just feels right. And when I see someone act as I would have not that long ago, and swat at an insect that bothers him, I feel this pang in my gut. Why do we feel the urge to kill just to remove an annoyance? What sort of conditioning have we been given? Do we even realize what we are doing?

But here's the good news. It is really pretty easy to reverse such conditioning if you want to.

It really only takes your sincere intention -- that's all -- just a simple decision on your part. Because even though your old habits will die hard, and you'll find yourself accidentally swatting at flies or stepping on ant hills, you will observe a momentary pang in your own gut, and think for a moment about that action. And this will cause the space to form between action and reaction, and this will give power to your intention, and allow you to change your behavior, and yes, experience great peace and happiness.

It is a wonderful and peaceful place to be. I wish you all have the opportunity to experience such peace.

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." -- Dalai Lama

This is Water

2011-09-19T07:57:00.003+02:00

This is Water, Esslingen, Germany, August 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 200mm, exposure 1/160 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, with flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig. -- Marcus Aurelius

This weekend I spent some time following-my-nose on the web and stumbled upon this gem. A commencement address given in 2005 by David Foster Wallace (here is the audio Part 1 and Part 2). I commend it to your "reflective time".

It's a message of getting caught by our "default settings," which dictate, for various reasons (genes, instinct, conditioning, culture), the way we see the world. But of course, like the fish that swim in water, they may see many things, but don't see the water.

It's about cultivating our awareness of just how we operate on the default settings; what I think can be summed up in the phrase "the human condition". And with that awareness -- that understanding that "this is water" -- we have a chance to see the world in an entirely different light.

We can see beauty where others only see blight, decay, and ugliness. We can live with a lightness that allows us to look beyond the mundane. We can offer love and compassion when others are trapped by selfishness.

Yes, I found it to be a very useful morning of exploration, and self-examination.

There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.

And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship -- be it JC or Allah, bet it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles -- is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.

If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth.

Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. ...

Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear.

Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out.

But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they're unconscious. They are default settings. -- David Foster Wallace

Oh, and about the blog. Yes, well, got a little bit trapped myself by the work-a-day world. Live and learn, shall we?

Day 86: Hero or goat?

2011-03-27T05:18:00.002+02:00

Hero or goat?, Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii, March 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 57mm, exposure 1/160 sec @ f6.3, ISO 200, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Well, it seems my New Year's Resolution of a post every day came to a rather abrupt stop. Apologies to those who came looking and found the stagnant blog. But you know what they say ... consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds ;-)

So, I guess in the hero/goat comparison, that makes me the goat. But at least this one is certainly adorable. And you can formulate your own opinion of what's the meaning of the tongue.

And there is another great thing about resolutions. Once you get over the perspective that they have to be a once-and-for-all change, you can just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and continue where you left off. At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it ;-)

So now we are on home leave. Carol and I flew out to Hawaii to visit our daughter Allison who lives on Oahu now. And then our son Gregory came out to join us for a family vacation. The first time we are all together in almost 3 years, given our current geographic separation. And it is awesome to get to spend that time in Hawaii.

This photo comes from our visit to the Kualoa Ranch on Oahu, where scenes from a number of famous TV shows (e.g., Lost) and movies (e.g., Jurassic Park) are filmed. At Alli's suggestion, we decided to rent ATVs for a 2-hour guided tour to celebrate Greg's birthday. It was a blast. Now we are onto Maui for a few days, and then on to Kauai for some more sight seeing.

Here's one picture of the family from the ATV tour. Not sure if you can tell from the photo, but we all have some dust on our faces from the ride. If you are ever in Hawaii, I'd put it on the list.

Donations: To 88Bikes.org to help provide transportation to under-developed countries
Exercise: Walk along beach in Maui with Greg (75 mins); family walk along Lahaina strip (90 mins)

Day 51: Education or Indoctrination?

2011-02-20T05:07:00.002+01:00

Indoctrination, Basicila of San Marco, Venice, Italy, February 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 60mm, exposure 1/33 sec @ f5.3, ISO 1600, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This is a very captivating painting right at the entrance to San Marco's Basilica in Venice. A young child being taught about his lord, Jesus Christ. And certainly it represents a story retold around the world, with differing messages depending on the faith.

Is this religious education fundamentally different from that taught in the Madrasahs in Pakistan or Afghanistan? Certainly the tenants of the faith differ, but is the approach fundamentally different?

Is one child's religious education another's indoctrination? Can those words be used interchangeably, and is that OK with you?

Personally, this is an area I struggle with. Young minds are so impressionable. They can be shaped and sculpted to believe anything their authority figures teach. And later "deprogamming" those beliefs can take enormous effort.

And what determines whether the child attends Sunday school, Hebrew school, or a Madrasah? Plain and simple -- geography (by and large). Is that the right basis for which creed is accepted as truth?

This gives me reason for great pause, and is something to reflect upon I think.

Donation: To our server at breakfast in our hotel. Tips are not expected, but it seemed the appropriate thing to do. And he seemed happy ;-)
Exercise: One last day roaming the back allies and canals of Venice (TBD mins). Just Carol and me -- very lovely.

Day 50: Work it!

2011-02-19T04:26:00.006+01:00

Work it!, Venice, Italy, February 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 45mm, exposure 1/30 sec @ f4.5, ISO 200, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Now there is an intent gondolier. He's focused, giving maximum effort, eyes fixed on his destination.

How about you? When you have an objective to achieve, are you similarly dedicated?

I'm not saying this is how one should go through life continuously -- it would take away from relaxing, being open to new possibilities, and listening to one's heart.

But this isn't an either/or proposition. Once you have decided upon your objective, then it becomes time to excel. So work it!

Donation: to a local group raising money to help drug addicts get and stay clean. The woman soliciting my donation said she had been clean for 2-years and was now a "good girl". To me, that cause was worth some euros.
Exercise: Wandering Venice with some friends from the US. While we didn't cover so much distance (too many shopping and photo stops), we were on our feet all day (300 mins)

Day 49: What mask(s) are you wearing?

2011-02-18T06:15:00.000+01:00

The many masks of Venice, Venice, Italy, February 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 30mm, exposure 1/60 sec @ f4, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Everyone wears them. Masks ... expected by our work, our friends, our family, even society in general.

But it can add to your internal angst to have to keep putting them on and taking them off. By doing so, you are not really being true to yourself, or perhaps better, letting yourself find your true abiding nature.

Who are you when you are not playing a role for someone else? It can be a life-long inquiry.

But as you incrementally identify and then remove the masks that are incongruent with your true nature, you will feel yourself climb the gentle slope of inner peace and tranquility.

You will become authentic, genuine, and sincere.

So ask yourself today ... what mask are you wearing, and why? And then try removing it and watch your behavior change.

What is your mask?, Venice, Italy, February 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 57mm, exposure 1/160 sec @ f6.3, ISO 200, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Donation: To many churches in Venice (appears more business than religion)
Exercise: TBD

Day 48: Tourists in Europe

2011-02-17T04:23:00.005+01:00

Raining in Prague, painting in a tourist shop, Prague, Czech Republic, December 2010,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 137mm, Exposure 1/5 sec @ f4.5, ISO 400, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Today we are tourists again, heading this time to Venice for the long weekend and meeting up with some friends from the U.S.

It's one of the best reasons to work and live in Europe ... to be tourists, but not only on vacation. That requires so much planning, and you are so dependent on the weather, peak travel season, etc. I, for one, like to be some hybrid of tourist and local ... maybe that's a 'tourcal'.

Normally we would drive, even down to Venice, Italy (about 10 hours with stops), since we have Frito with us. But this time we have a wonderful couple recommended by our vet taking care of Frito. It is sort of a trial run to see how things go, so we (both) are comfortable for the long home visit trip planned to Hawaii next month.

So instead of driving, we decided to catch a flight (which is only an hour or so). It will cost more, but we'll also have more time to see Venice, and to just relax. Sounds good for this 'tourcal'.

All work and no play is not a good approach to the work/life balance. I hope to begin to even the score ;-) I hope you all enjoy your long weekend as well.

Donation: to Animal Rescue League of NH, to help adopt pets
Exercise: Walking around Venice, just following our noses (210 mins)

Day 47: Stack 'em high

2011-02-16T07:27:00.004+01:00

Stack 'em high, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 82mm, exposure 1/4 sec @ f5.6, ISO 900, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

We were out walking around the beach area in Tel Aviv when we snapped this shot of the moon flanked by some high rise hotel or apartments.

Then just a little bit farther, in a park area left undeveloped, look at the little fellow we found. That's a hedgehog ... in Tel Aviv, Israel of all places!

And it reminds me that we really do need to be careful not to overdevelop our land. As the Native Americans would ask, how will our development strategy affect the next seven generations? Is our approach really sustainable?

If we cannot answer 'yes', we need to look long and hard at our development policies. There are plenty of good examples of how to do it -- right here where we live in Germany. Houses built closer together, but vast open fields and forests with trails nearby. Community shopping that can be within walking or biking distance, as well as access to public transportation.

So go-ahead. If you must add rooms or apartments, stack 'em high. But retain some open space for the critters and we humans, who need to maintain that bond with nature, for our good health, sanity, and enjoyment.

The Peace of Wild Things -- by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Donation: Donation to Green Sangha to ban single use plastic bags. Please check out the fun video on the topic.
Exercise: Walking on Patch Barracks (15 mins)

Day 46: The Spirit Conquers

2011-02-15T06:00:00.002+01:00

Bouquet in the Rain, placed at the Indian Memorial, Den Haag, Netherlands, February 2011,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 25mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f3.3, ISO 100, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This is a beautiful bouquet of flowers, that was placed at a memorial to Dutch citizens and soldiers that lost their lives in Japanese prison camps during WWII, in what was then the Dutch East Indies.

It had rained the previous day, and was still quite foggy, giving everything an eerie backdrop. The sculpture itself is rather eerie; have a look:

The Spirit Conquers, Indian Memorial, Den Haag, Netherlands, February 2011,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 25mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f3.3, ISO 100, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The title of the sculpture, "De Geest Overwint" translates to "The Spirit Conquers", which I think is such a powerful phrase.

When faced with such adversity, it is the power of the spirit that will bring you solace. It will guide how you respond to such extreme conditions, and ultimately, define who you are.

May our spirits lead us, instead, to treat our fellow brothers and sisters with charity and grace in the years to come.

Donation: To Carl D. (via Carlo), who is washing dishes to raise money for the Pine Street Inn, whose mission is to end homelessness, in Boston Mass
Exercise: Walking at NATO HQ on Ramstein AB (15 mins)

Day 45: Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T05:52:00.004+01:00

Love in the Alps, Schwarzsee along Lötschentaler Höhenweg, Switzerland, July 2010,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 27mm, Exposure 1/320 sec @ f9.0, ISO 200, no flash

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, and especially to my valentine.

What's that? Can't be sure to whom I am referring based on the picture above?

Well, fair enough. Let me remove any ambiguity with this little movie below.

You bring out my inner hippee, Carol. Hee, hee. Love ya!

Donation: to Kitchen Gardeners to promote kitchen gardening, home-cooking, and sustainable local food systems
Exercise: Short run to check out my new FiveFingers Vibrams, 3.4 mi (30 mins), which by the way worked great!

Day 44: Scaling the wall

2011-02-13T07:27:00.002+01:00

Scaling the Wall, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO, November 2007,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 17.3mm, Exposure 1/40 sec @ f5.8, ISO 200, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So how big is that proverbial wall that you need to scale? Does it seem impossible?

If it seems so, then it probably is. You really need to believe you can achieve your goal to be able to navigate all of the obstacles that you find in your way.

But if this is something that you really want. And if you can visualize yourself reaching your goal. Then I doubt there are any barriers that you cannot overcome or circumnavigate.

Or maybe you have another ally on your side: fate. Have a read of this heart-warming story in anticipation of Valentine's day.

(Oh, and by the way, if you want other uplifting stories to find your inbox, consider subscribing to their daily newsletter.)

Donation: to Friends of the Amherst Library, in my home town
Exercise: Short walk with Frito and Carol (30 mins)

Day 43: Ingenious

2011-02-12T07:01:00.001+01:00

Seeds on the Wind, Amherst, NH, November 2007,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, 35mm equiv. focal length 27.8mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f8, ISO 80, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Nature surely is ingenious. Take a look at that seed delivery mechanism -- wow, what a design. The next breath of air that comes this way will carry those milkweed seeds far and wide. Which is cool, because the milkweed is the plant where monarch butterflies undergo their metamorphasis.

Now with this being such a good design, you might think nature would patent it, mass produce it, and make it as cheap and efficient as possible ;-) But even better, nature just loves diversity. Why take the risk that you end up with an evolutionary dead end. So there are seeds that cling to animals. Seed that are tasty to eat (but aren't digested), and so get the added benefit of, um, fertilizer wherever they are dropped. And so on, and so on.

It is really mind boggling how vast, how elegant, how diverse, and how fascinating our world has become through the universal principle of evolution.

Oh, and here's something pretty ingenious too. It's a human invention, and sure, it is primitive, but it certainly is clever. Check out the short video of the man-made creatures that their Dutch creator hope will once day live on the beaches in the Netherlands.

Donation: to Azada Bagirova via a Kiva loan to assist in creating her own business
Exercise: Nice walk with Frito and Carol (45 mins)

Day 42: Who says the party's over?

2011-02-11T01:02:00.009+01:00

The Party's Over, Amherst, NH, New Year's Day 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 54mm, Exposure 1/60 sec @ f4.5, ISO 200, with flash, exposure bias -2/3,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The party's over. The friends are gone, the uneaten food has been put away, the dishes washed, and even all those drinking glasses have been cleaned. Yes, we had some eclectic drinkers that night.

But who say's the party has to be over? Who says one has to save parties for New Year's Eve, or birthdays, or even just weekends?

Why must it be party and non-party? Why can't it be all one big continuous party?

I don't mean some drunken-frathouse weeklong-banger. I mean seeing life as the party. With all the anticipation, the friendliness, the sociality, the camaraderie, and with enjoyment, all the time, that might otherwise be relegated to those special occasions.

You say the "rest" of your life -- that work-a-day world -- doesn't fit the definition of a party? Well perhaps that's the thing you need to examine. What is it you fear about finding work, or making your current work situation, something you enjoy enough that you can consider it to meet the criteria of your life's party?

I read this blog post called "The Great Fear". It's a well-written wake-up call to those who have too much inertia, or too many reasons stopping them from being the life of their own party. But in that blog, I particularly enjoyed this quote about "My Greater Fear":

"For me, I have what I will call, for lack of a better term, My Greater Fear. It is that I will live a perfectly unexceptional existence with this exceptional chance I have been given. My Greater Fear is that I will rot beneath a matrix of fluorescent lights staring at the carpeted walls of a cubicle, or that I will wake knowing exactly what I will be doing every minute of every day for the rest of my waking life, or that I will wait until I am old and enfeebled to give myself permission to live."

Yowsa! That does indeed sound like the greater fear. So come on. Make your life the party you want to crash, and then go crash it! We only have one ticket for this merry-go-round. So make the most of it.

Donation: to the site of this blog post, the Path Less Pedaled.
Exercise: Walking around Einsiedlerhof, Germany on my work trip (15 mins).

Day 41: Black and blue

2011-02-10T05:34:00.003+01:00

Black and Blue, Disney World, Orlando, FL, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 46mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f4.5, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -2/3,

post-processed in iPhoto, © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Well, I've pretty much recovered from my running accident in Tel Aviv. Cuts have healed and bruises are gone. The human body is truly a thing of wonder.

So let's re-interpret "black and blue" to a different meaning -- in this case, the play of light on the geodesic dome at Disney World. I just love the "texture" of that dome, and how the light turns all different shades depending on the angle of the reflective surface.

How many surfaces do you expose? Will you react differently to the same information coming at you, depending perhaps, on your mood? Or the situation? Or what you had for breakfast?

Just goes to show, like the light from above, a thing is neither good nor bad, except in how we view it. That judgment lies entirely within us. And it is our choice on what color we will see. If you don't like what you are seeing, try putting a different "face" forward to the world.

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." -- Shakespeare, Hamlet

Donation: Australia Red Cross, for clean water, as being raised by this amazing endurance athelete, running from the North Pole to the South Pole in less than a year (which means the equivalent of two marathons per day, every day -- ouch!)
Exercise: TBD

Day 40: Having a snack

2011-02-09T08:32:00.004+01:00

Snacking, Amherst, NH, February 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 300mm, Exposure 1/80 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Last night I was bad. Actually, I guess it began during the day, yesterday. I had already eaten lunch (soy yogurt), but while I was out walking on the base, I went by a BK van, and suddenly had the urge for some greasy french fries. I thought, well, at least I got that out of my system.

Then last night, after a yummy asian stir-fry and side salad (thank you, thank you, Carol), I still had the munchies. And so, down went the chocolate mints. Which after shocking my system with sweet, that I almost never eat now, I followed up with a chaser of salty potato chips ... and then finished off the bag.

I don't know what the heck was going on. And no, there was no alcohol involved (which I previously thought was the root cause of any of my willpower lapses).

So anyways, I'm feeling a little cruddy this morning. I think the best antidote for my night of binging is to run into work. So that's the plan anyways. Oh yeah, and getting back on the healthy eating bandwagon.

I will say it was interesting to watch these cravings develop, and most importantly, to recognize that I'm not getting any satisfaction from allowing myself to indulge.

So how is your snacking going? Just stay away from my bird feeder, OK?

Donation: to Growing Home, a company providing job training through non-profit organic farming.
Exercise: Yeah, OK, so the running plan turned into the biking plan which turned into the walking plan (15 mins). Lazy or busy? Both are probably true.

Day 39: The Quiet God

2011-02-08T05:59:00.013+01:00

Golden backlight, Amherst, NH, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 300mm, Exposure 1/1250 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -2/3,

post processed in iPhoto © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I just found this quote in my inbox, and thought it was too good not to share. See what you think:

There are those who search God in the quiet places -- no churches, no public displays of piety, no dramatic or flamboyant rituals.

They may be found standing in humble awe before a sunset, or weeping quietly at the beauty of a Bach concerto, or filled with an overflowing of pure love at the sight of an infant in the arms of its mother.

You may meet them visiting the elderly, comforting the lonely, feeding the hungry, and caring for the sick.

The greatest among them may give away what they own in the name of compassion and goodness, while never once uttering the word “God” out loud. Or they may do no more than offer a smile or a hand to someone in need, or quietly bow their heads at a moment of beauty that passes through their lives, and say a simple prayer of gratitude to the spirit that has created us all.

They are the lovers of the quiet God, the believers in the small graces of ordinary life.

Theirs is not the grand way, the way of the mystic or the preacher or the zealot or the saint. Some would say that theirs is not a way at all. All they know for certain is that life has beauty and a joy that transcends all the darkness that surrounds us, that something ineffable lives beyond the ordinary affairs of the day, and that without this mystery our lives would not be worth living.

I honor those who search for the quiet God, who seek the spirit in the small moments of our everyday life. It is a celebration of the ordinary, a reminder that when all else is stripped away, a life lived with love is enough.

-- Believers in Small Graces, by Kent Nerbern

Donation: to The Tibet Fund, via Groupon (which may result in a coupon for a subsequent donation to another charity -- we'll see)
Exercise: Brisk walk on base (30 mins)

Day 38: Dealing with change

2011-02-07T06:48:00.002+01:00

Impermanence, Los Angeles, CA, April 2008,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 4.6mm, Exposure 1/60 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200, with flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Pretty wild how following the fall of the government of Tunisia, many other Arab governments have similarly come under fire (e.g., Egypt, Jordan, Yemen). The power of revolution is pretty amazing.

It seems this graffiti artist was making a similar point. Disenfranchised by the current establishment, he no doubt wants to see radical change.

How does that make you feel? Does it raise your fear level? Tug at your intrinsic need for security and stability? I suspect so -- that is only natural. Most of us, after all, are "playing the game" of life, and so we want to know the rule book. But here's the thing ...

He's right -- one day this will all come down. This is simply the Buddhist notion of impermanence -- nothing is permanent (not to mention physics). My suggestion is to reflect on the nature of impermanence, and how best to not get caught up in the perception that everything will remain as it is now. Change is inevitable, and ultimately the essential characteristic of the universe. It is also inherent and necessary for evolution.

So go ahead. Build those sandcastles. But do so with the light heart and non-attachment of a child. And check out this older post for a little more insight.

Donation: Randy Pausch memorial fund at Carnegie Mellon Univeristy
Exercise: Ride my bike to work (30 mins); run home (60 mins)

Day 37: Paper thin

2011-02-06T07:02:00.002+01:00

Birch bark, Amherst, NH, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 142mm, Exposure 1/800 sec @ f7.1, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I've been watching my wounds heal from my Tel Aviv running debacle, and it is pretty amazing what the body can do.

OK, so maybe it can't regenerate new limbs, but it certainly deal with blunt force trauma, and regrow new skin.

For example, I had a big deep cut on my left hand, and after a couple of days it scabbed over. Then slowly, but surely, new skin replaced the scab from the outside in. What was about the size of a nickel is now just 1/8" across.

Thankfully, I've left that alone, and not yanked it off like I did to white birch bark when I was a kid. And I'm sure within a week it will be fully healed.

The body is an amazing thing. We give so much credit to doctors when they set fractured bones, or give us antibiotics for bronchitis. But really, all they are doing is creating the conditions favorable for our body to heal itself. That's the miracle. What an amazingly well-evolved design. Truly unfathomable.

So listen to your mother: leave the white birch tree alone, and don't pick at the scab. And keep your own body's immune system strong, so that it can deal with whatever debacles comes its way.

Donation: to the Center for Food Safety, in an attempt to keep genetically-engineered (GE) food and genetically-modified organisims (GMOs) out of the food chain, or at a minimum, explicitly labeled as such so that we can choose to eat all-natural and organic foods.
Exercise: 8.2 mile run around Stuttgart Schlossgarten (75 mins) and warm, sunny walk with Carol and Frito on Böblingen hillside (60 mins)

Day 36: Feeling frozen?

2011-02-05T05:53:00.001+01:00

Frozen, Amherst, NH, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 158mm, Exposure 1/160 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Are you frozen in time or place? Unable to take decisive action? Or break out of limiting patterns?

Usually, at the core of such indecision or bad habits, is a lack of self-confidence or self-respect.

That's one of the insights being explored by the donation organization today, "Back on my Feet."

From their web-site, "Back on My Feet ... promotes the self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem."

What an awesome idea. And if it can work for homeless folks that are really down on their luck, imagine what it might do for those of us that just need a kick in the butt to break out of old, frozen patterns of behavior.

So go ahead. Find some old sneakers, and lace 'em up. And take the first step in a new direction.

Donation: To Back on My Feet, who helping homeless people gain self-respect through running
Exercise: Nice 3.5 mile walk with Carol and Frito (75 mins)

Day 35: Looking a bit weathered?

2011-02-04T05:56:00.008+01:00

Weathered, Pickity Place, Mason, NH, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 53mm, Exposure 1/100 sec @ f5, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So how have the years been treating you? Are you starting to look a little "weathered". Showing the signs of age yet? And how do you feel about it?

Youth and freshness are certainly emphasized in our culture, on TV, in magazines, etc. And some folks even try to keep the appearance of age at bay with cosmetic surgery. But to me, that just means they are "hooked" by our culture, and are that much more likely to endure suffering.

We all age. In other cultures, age is revered for it brings with it experience and wisdom. And, of course, it is nothing, if not a natural process. It just "is". And it applies equally to us all.

My recommendation is to embrace that weathered look. Find your own style and become distinguished and serene. Wisdom really is all that it's cracked up to be -- don't wish it away for unnatural youthfulness. Of course, continue to emphasize natural health and exercise, and continued exploration and self-reflection to develop your wisdom.

Then you can wear that "weathered" look with great presence and radiate a deep inner peace and beauty.

Donation: Gift for the lady who cleaned my hotel room all week.
Exercise: Walking through the very large Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam (30 mins)

Day 34: Creeping closer

2011-02-03T05:31:00.016+01:00

Creeping ivy, Pickity Place, Mason, NH, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 300mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f5.6, ISO 400, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

See this ivy? It keeps creeping forward, step by step, day by day.

Your life is like that as well. So is your death. It's something few people like to think about -- someday in the future, we will live our last day.

And we don't get to know when this will happen. Which for most of us, allows us to forget about it entirely. But that's not the best approach.

What if you really realized you were going to die -- would it affect the way you live today? I think so. And that's a good thing, because it is too easy for each of us to take our lives, our health, our financial security for granted. We need to recognize just how lucky we are, and take steps to make the most of this one and only life -- this gift -- that we have.

I expect you've heard about Dr. Randy Pausch. Now there was a classy guy, who really made a difference in the lives of his students, and now many others that have seen his "last lecture" and/or read his book.

Once again, today's post comes from the donation, which was made to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, to search for a cure for the disease that Dr. Pausch battled. Through some e-mails today, I came across his lecture and just had to watch it again. Along with a special by Diane Sawyer (find it here, down the page on the left side). He was quite a man.

His last lecture is an hour-long. If you've never seen it, you are in for a real treat. And if you did see it when it came around the web the first time (it's now had over 12 million views), you still might want to take the time to be reminded of his noble lessons for life.

Don't let that ivy creep up on you. Decide what actions you want to take, and live your dreams.

Donation: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in honor of Dr. Randy Pausch
Exercise: Walking around Den Haag city center (15 mins) -- hey, we took the tram because it was cold ;-)

Day 33: Dahling, you look mahvelous

2011-02-02T06:08:00.001+01:00

You look mahvelous, Kissimmee Florida, March 2008,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 17.3mm, Exposure 1/100 sec @ f5.8, ISO 200, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

How are you looking today? "Mahvelous," I hope.

But sometimes we just don't feel great, and so, maybe we don't look and act great. Well, we probably just need someone to help make us the best that we can be, and then help show the world.

Today's thought comes from the donation: Shelter Me Photography. What a great service this lady provides. And what a fantastic success rate. See? Someone just need to put them in the right environment, and capture their hearts in a photograph. Check out the story below -- it's wonderful.

BTW, do you remember that Billy Crystal SNL character playing Fernando Lamas -- it cracks me up.

Donation: Shelter Me Photography. What an awesome service they provide. You might want to consider your own donation.
Exercise: Jog around Den Haag (and take lots of pictures), 4.3 miles (45 mins actually on the move)

Day 32: Buried Treasure

2011-02-01T05:20:00.003+01:00

Buried treasure, Rogue River, Oregon, May 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 36mm, Exposure 1/60 sec @ f4, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -2/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

What? Doesn't look like buried treasure to you? A big disappointment for the prospector with his metal detector? Me thinks not.

Some might call it junk; others river detritus. But me, I see nothing but treasure. Look at those textures and those colors. The contrasting shapes and surfaces. The complimentary aspect of man-made and natural objects.

You know what they say, "one man's junk is another man's treasure." I couldn't agree more, and not just in the material sense. But also in the creative sense.

What have you uncovered that qualifies for your "treasure"? If you open your eyes -- really, open them literally and figuratively -- you will be surprised just how much treasure you can dig up.

"Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig." -- Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180)

Donation: for the delivery person, who is always there before I get up, in the cold, dark, rainy/snowy mornings with my newspaper ... thanks!
Exercise: Walking to, from, and along the beach in Den Haag (not so inviting with a cold, foggy, rain) (90 mins)

Day 31: One that got away

2011-01-31T06:57:00.005+01:00

Paradise paved, Los Angeles, California, July 2007,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 255mm, Exposure 1/200 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I'm really amazed at the contrast between urban sprawl in the U.S. and many of the cities and towns in Europe, especially here in Germany.

You might think it was our fascination with the automobile, but hey, don't you think Germany gets a tip o' the hat there as well?

This is Los Angeles. My brother-in-law lived there for many years, but recently, has purchased a home in Nevada. I cannot tell you how much happier he sounds as he begins to make that his new home.

So where am I going with this? Well, perhaps a couple of places.

First, one thing I noticed when I was stuck in traffic, especially around Wilshire Blvd, were all the six-figure cars that were stuck idling right next to me (not this photo, but you'll have to trust me). So my first point? Don't bother "keeping up" with the Jonses.

Second, if you care about the character of your town or city, you need strong zoning laws, that put a premium on green space, close clustering in neighborhoods, with local shopping, so autos don't rule. And for commuting, there is no substitute for walking and biking trails and public trains.

Third, for all we bemoan our various governments about, this is what we need them for. To look out for the public's interest, where the free-market does not care about "livibility" and "quality of life".

And finally, never forget that this is the only life you've got. Do you really want to spend it trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway? You get the most important vote. You vote with your dollars and your feet. You get to choose to work in a small town, rather than the big city (and yes, settle for less dollars but perhaps more happiness).

So make the right choice. And when you find your little piece of paradise -- make sure you get involved and don't let them pave it.

Oh yeah, and sing a little Joni Mitchell:

Big Yellow Taxi, by Joni Mitchell

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

With a pink hotel, a boutique

And a swinging hot spot

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees

Put 'em in a tree museum

And they charged the people

A dollar and a half just to see 'em

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer farmer

Put away the D.D.T. now

Give me spots on my apples

But leave me the birds and the bees

Please!

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Late last night

I heard my screen door slam

And a big yellow taxi

Took away my old man

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

I said don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Donation: Mercy for Animals (MFA); you may be interested to see their letter to Taco Bell -- makes sense to me
Exercise: Brisk (cause it was cold) walks on Patch (15 mins). Lame, I know.

Day 30: Got Paint?

2011-01-30T05:53:00.001+01:00

Got Paint?, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 2007,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 39mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -1.0

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Got an ugly building? Got paint? Look at that transformation!

Do you have anything that needs a little sprucing up in your life?

This just shows the power of a little creative energy (OK, and some talent too).

Go ahead. Paint a mural in your mind. Recreate anything you don't like, and make it beautiful. And you have the talent to transform yourself.

Donation: United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Cleveland, to help this CrowdRise member reach her goal, as mentioned by Carlo.
Exercise: First run since my encounter with the pavement in Tel Aviv. 3.4 miles (30 mins), and harder than it should have been.

Day 29: Seeds of Vulnerability

2011-01-29T07:36:00.006+01:00

Spreading Seeds, Amherst, NH, September 2007,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 4.6mm, Exposure 1/60 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I like the metaphor of spreading seeds. Maybe because I enjoyed the childhood tales of Johnny Appleseed, planting apple trees over the countryside.

To me any new thought, or spark of insight, is a seed.

If the conditions are right (mind being receptive), it might take root.

Then, with continued watering (reflection, contemplation), it might form a new behavior.

And finally, with the requisite cultivation and pruning (alignment with one's principles, or in some cases, resetting a paradigm), it can change a person's life.

And if that happens for one person, then perhaps another, and so on.

Frankly, it's the only way we grow and evolve.

Hopefully for the betterment of humanity.

So with that as the context, here's another TED talk I think you might like (see below), that I found on the Rowdy Kittens web-site.

It's about "vulnerability" -- a mushy, squishy, jello-on-the-wall sort of topic. But Dr. Brené Brown does a great job, I think, in planting some seeds.

So when you have 20 quiet minutes to watch and reflect, I believe it will be worth your time.

Donation: to purchase Graphic Converter 7, a program I use to determine the photo parameters in my captions. Now I know you might say that's not really a "donation", but since I could use the program for free, I feel this still meets the intent of my "giving" resolution.
Exercise: Walk with Frito and Carol (30 mins).

Day 28: Looking to escape?

2011-01-28T05:23:00.002+01:00

Looking to Escape?, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 2011,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 96mm, Exposure 1/50 sec @ f4.3, ISO 125, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So tell me. Are you looking to escape? This guy looks pretty desperate to get out of that bridge pillar ;-)

Escape from what, you ask? Oh, I don't know -- a world that treats you as an independent object, disconnected from everything else. A culture that emphasizes sensationalism and cynicism. Road rage and "going postal".

Well, I firmly believe in our interdependence. And that any sort of cultural change will begin with you and me. That's right -- the buck stops with us. You remember that famous quote:

"We must become the change we want to see." -- Mahatma Gandhi

Or perhaps consider this explanation as to the meaning of Gandhi's quote:

"Gandhi reminds us that each of us has the power to change our world by changing ourselves. What type of world do you want to live in? Clean? Peaceful? Vibrant? Then be clean. Be peaceful. Be vibrant. Not only will you see your world conforming to your change, but you might even notice the worlds of other people around you changing for the better, too." -- David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy

And if you would like some further motivation, consider these two videos I just came across today. May they brighten your day and give you some inspiration and ideas.

Donation: to Organic Consumers Association (OCA), to advocate for explicit labeling of GMO food
Exercise: Walking around Panzer Kaserne running errands (15 mins). Lame, I know.

Day 27: Do a little dance

2011-01-27T05:50:00.002+01:00

Dancing with the Flowers, Amherst, NH, September 2007,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, 35mm focal length equiv. 114mm, Exposure 1/200 sec @ f5.8, ISO 80, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sometimes, you just gotta dance! So get up and start moving.

You don't even need any music ... you can sing the tune in your head.

That's all I wanted to say. Hope you have a happy day. And do a little dance!

Flower Buzz, Amherst, NH, September 2007,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 4.6mm, Exposure 1/400 sec @ f2.8, ISO 80, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Donation: Big Brother Big Sister Foundation of Greater Manchester, NH
Exercise: Short walk with Frito in the woods (30 mins)

Day 26: Ahhhh, grasshopper

2011-01-26T05:34:00.004+01:00

Nice Legs, Los Angeles, CA, September 2007,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, 35mm focal length equiv. 43.9mm, Exposure 1/160 sec @ f8, ISO 80, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Ahhhh, grasshopper ... what troubles you, my friend?

Do you remember that TV show "Kung Fu" with David Carradine? I really was into it as a kid.

Ya know, I never thought about it before, but I wonder if that influenced my interest in Eastern religions at all.

Here's a sample to remind you what it was (or for you youngsters, to have a taste). I never realized how much the Tao Te Ching played in it. This is one of the flashbacks in the show, where the character Caine is reminded of his various teachings.

Donation: Trying to keep our food from being genetically modified, or if so, at least making sure it is labeled properly (so you can avoid it) ... a donation to the Non-GMO Project.
Exercise: Walk toward town with Carol and Frito (30 mins)

Day 25: Turning your world upside-down

2011-01-25T05:15:00.016+01:00

Dew Drop Reflections, Amherst, NH, October 2007,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 4.6mm, Exposure 1/60 sec @ f2.8, ISO 100, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

There's another thing I learned with my health recently. Listen to your body.

I knew I was fighting something (dull headache, some lethargy), but rather than listening, I increased my exercise, which meant getting up earlier and losing out on sleep. A couple of days last week I could barely keep my eyes open, and the fatigue was palpable.

I should have listened and perhaps even take off a day from work to just sleep. It might have saved me from developing bronchitis (which is what the doctor diagnosed). Indeed, I slept most of the day yesterday, and felt significantly better before I even visited the doctor.

So if you don't want to turn your own world upside-down, then be still enough to listen to your body. It gives us many cues, if we but pay attention. Your body needs to heal -- so sleep. You have eaten enough food -- so don't bother to clean your plate. You are getting dehydrated -- so drink more water.

The body is amazing. I plan on listening more closely in the future.

Donation: Gave some more clothes to Patch thrift shop
Exercise: Walk with Carol and Frito (30 mins)

Day 24: Shore up your defenses

2011-01-24T05:42:00.014+01:00

The Tower, Hohenzollern Castle, Mount Hohenzollern, above Hechingen, Germany, December 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 63mm, Exposure 1/250 sec @ f8, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -2/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So how are your defenses? I thought mine were pretty strong -- eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and generally taking pretty good care of myself. Well, that all came crashing down on my last business trip. I don't know for sure what I have, but it seems to me like severe bronchitis -- we'll let the doc sort it out later today.

And then as for my running, it has been getting stronger, and a little bit easier. Still no where back to where I was during marathon season, but I guess that's what training programs are for. Until I got tripped up on a loop of metal (road detritus) and went crashing to the ground ... nose first. Ouch!

I was pretty amazed a driver stopped immediately right in the busy road, and got out his first aid kit and tried to help put humpty dumpty back together again. And within a minute, a police officer stopped as well, and was going to make arrangements for an ambulance. But it wasn't *that* serious, so I thanked them both profusely, and hobbled back to the hotel to clean up and raid *their* first aid kit.

Not a good combination -- gouged up nose with bandages that just about cover the nostrils and some kind of cold/bronchitis (think sneezing, running nose, with a wicked cough). My defenses have been trashed. I am (and look) officially pathetic.

I hope your defenses are in better shape. Something to keep in mind as you make your dietary and exercise selections each day. And maybe not hanging out with sick people ;-)

But this too shall pass and at some point, things will be back to normal humming on all cylinders. Lord only knows when ;-)

Donation: KIVA loan to Félicité Kabassele
Exercise: Walk with Frito (could have been a scene from night of the living dead, in my trench coat, hacking away) (30 mins)

Day 23: What a Character

2011-01-23T05:36:00.021+01:00

What a Character, Jan Palach Square ("We" sculpture, by Jaume Plensa), Prague, Czech Republic, April 2009,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 93mm, Exposure 1/640 sec @ f6.3, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -0.7

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This was an awesome sculpture (see below for details*).

To me, it triggers the thought that humans are "labelers." We label everything, as the way we process information. It allows us to categorize various objects into archetypes, which of course is an efficient method for generalizing about specific instances or types of information.

As useful as this process is to our survival in the sensory- and information-rich world, it also can easily lead us to "judge a book by its cover" -- without getting to know what is really inside (the book, the person, the incident, etc.)

So watch out for this "character" -- the labeler. He may lead you astray. As an experiment, spend some time noticing things around you and consciously *not* labeling them. Try to examine their unique characteristics, their rich textures, the hidden stories.

I think you will find it very useful, and it should help you avoid our natural tendency for prejudice -- that is -- judging things prematurely.

Donation: Extra large tip my taxi driver. Hey, I never said I had to be "pure" about this. Just trying to keep "giving" near the forefront of my thinking.
Exercise: Run beyond Jaffa and on the beach (10 miles, 100 mins)

Update on the exercise: I am officially a basket case. 100 meters from the hotel, I tripped on some road detritus and went down hard. Fortunately my nose and chin broke the fall, rather than my teeth. And my hand and knee a bit. It is not a pretty sight.

Couple that with what appears to be a severe case of bronchitis I somehow contracted in Israel, and let's just say the plane ride home was not so much fun. Passengers were drawing straws to see who had to sit near me and get either phlegmed or bled on.

I'm heading to the doctor tomorrow and see what's what.

*Here's some more information on this cool sculpture:

Jaume Plensa presented his sculpture "We" in Jan Palach Square, opposite the Rudolfinum, from 7 January-30 June 2009. We (2008) is a 5 meter tall, white coated, sculpture weighing 2,700 kilograms and was cut out from stainless steel using laser beam technology.

Plensa celebrates the linguistic diversity of the human family by putting multiple alphabets together on a single human form. The form is "everyman & woman" who all share the experience of language. Characters make up the outline of the androgynous body -- neither a female nor a male is clearly discernible. The letters that form the shape of the human body with an open front side come from various languages: Roman, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Hindu, Greek, Chinese and Japanese.

The original idea was to create a visual statement of belief in the possibility of peace and understanding between all nations of the world. His artworks pay tribute to the human body as the perfect architectural form that provides a shelter to the soul, dreams and desires.

Day 22: Stairway

2011-01-22T06:10:00.016+01:00

Stairway, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Oregon, May 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 27mm, Exposure 1/15 sec @ f3.5, ISO 800, no flash, exposure bias -0.7

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sometimes there are many, many steps between you and your final destination.

But the only way to get there, is to take that first step.

If it seems too high, or you are scared of heights, just look straight ahead with your hand on the railing and keep on walking.

Eventually, you will reach your goal.

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

"The longest journey in the world begins with but a single step; and it is the one most often not taken." -- author unknown

Update: People who know me know I'm not a big boxing fan. But this video isn't really about boxing (or at least you need not look at it that way). As the web-site says, consider instead that it's about taking that first step. Which can only come after you have made the decision, established the intention, and changed your direction. Go farther. Go higher.

Donation: Tip for club lounge wait staff -- great service
Exercise: Walking with Carol around Akko (aka Acco, aka Acre), Israel (60 mins)

Day 21: Texture

2011-01-21T06:58:00.004+01:00

Texture, Animal Kingdom, Disneyworld, Orlando, FL, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 255mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f5.6, ISO 280, no flash, exposure bias -0.7

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

How is the texture of your life?

Smooth and silky, with nary a flaw?

Or rough hewn, with plenty of hard edges and maybe a few splinters?

I hope the latter, at least a little bit. So that you can really appreciate when things are flowing smoothly, and also have the reserves available to polish up some of those rough edges.

Donation: Cash to street performer in Zikhron Ya'akov, near Haifa
Exercise: Walked to and from the Nachalat Binyamin and HaCarmel markets in Tel Aviv (90 mins)

Day 20: Crazy or Majestic?

2011-01-20T06:04:00.002+01:00

Crazy, Tel Aviv, Israel, April 2008,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 4.6mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f8, ISO 80, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

A double dose today. Are you crazy or majestic? What if I were to say they can easily be the same thing.

What "people" might call crazy are just those thoughts, ideas, actions that are out of the social convention or norm. And yet, where else do great or revolutionary ideas come from?

I think the key is simply having the self-confidence to march to your own drummer. Then you can stand proudly and majestically while others try to figure out exactly what makes you tick.

Now that should be a wild and crazy time.

Majestic, Tel Aviv, Israel, April 2008,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 17.3mm, Exposure 1/250 sec @ f8.5, ISO 80, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Donation: SHARE Outreach of Milford, NH
Exercise: Running on boardwalk (4.8 miles) (45 mins)

Day 19: Dragonfly

2011-01-19T05:53:00.003+01:00

Dragonfly, Garden Pond, Amherst, NH, July 2008,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 17.3mm, Exposure 1/200 sec @ f5.8, ISO 100, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Are you like this dragonfly?

Confident. Self-assured. Beautiful. Colorful. Willing. Patient.

Not anxious. Not hyper-active. Not fearful. Not hunkered down.

Give it a try. It's a great way to be.

Donation: to Motivating Miles Foundation, in Amherst, NH
Exercise: Run to Jaffa and back (5 miles, 45 mins); also walking with Carol (3.5 miles, 90 mins)

Day 18: Follow your star

2011-01-18T05:04:00.036+01:00

Follow Your Star, Rothenburg o.d.T, Germany, December 2009,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 36mm, exposure 1/125 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias +0.33,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Interesting person I met yesterday during lunch ... somone who calls herself a Messianic Jew. Which, as I understand it, is someone who considers themselves Jewish but also believes Christ was the Messiah. Basically, and evangelical Christian, but also a Jew.

Seems like that could be a pretty tough belief system to hold while growing up in Israel. She said about 0.5% of the population fall into this category.

I guess you need to be able to follow your own North Star in such situations.

"I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books;
I have begun to listen to the teachings my blood whispers to me."
-- Hermann Hesse

"Let the water settle;

you will see the moon and stars mirrored in your being."

-- Jelaluddin Rumi

Donation: to YogaCaps, Inc, in Amherst, NH
Exercise: Another boardwalk run, this time toward Jaffa (4.5 miles, 40 mins); plus walk with Carol (60 mins)

Day 17: Mediterranean Sunset

2011-01-17T03:39:00.003+01:00

Mediterranean Sunset, USS Ramage, somewhere in the Mediterranean, April 2010,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 33mm, exposure 1/320 sec @ f9, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -0.33,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

One can see a beautiful sunset, such as this one above, and be mesmerized by it ... lost in the moment, the eternity, the instant.

Just seeing the image of it once again, I am transported back to that day. Chiseled into my otherwise fragile memory banks, I sense the smell of the sea, the sounds of powerful diesel engines, the low vibration from the deck steel.

And I reflect ... what of it, this beautiful life?

You are cloud, sea, forgetting;

you are also what you lost in a moment--

we are all those who have left.

The reflection of our face in the mirror

changes each instant

and every day has its own labyrinth.

The cloud vanishing in the sunset

is our image; endlessly,

a rose becomes another rose.

-- Jorge Luis Borges

Donation: Boy Scouts of America -- Daniel Webster Council (why I spent my scouting days)
Exercise: Ran along Tel Aviv boardwalk (4.25 miles, 40 mins), with some work colleagues, and added some strides at the end based on a recommendation from a running buddy.

Day 16: Distorted View

2011-01-16T06:17:00.001+01:00

Distorted View, Prague, Czech Republic, May 2010,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, Focal length 17.3mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f5.8, ISO 80, no flash,

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Interesting US Army sticker someone put on this mirror. I wonder what perspective they have of the US military ;-)

And how about your perspectives? Do your prejudices and cultural biases show through? I assume they do -- you would be a rare person indeed if that were not the case.

So what can you do about it? Well, I think the most important this is just to recognize that you have such biases.

Only after such recognition, might you be able to see past your distortion lens.

Next simply try not to judge something that may be different from how you think; indeed, welcome such new viewpoints.

Eventually you may get to the point where you do not project your distorted views onto a given situation, and see things with an open mind and welcoming acceptance to whatever is.

Donation: As suggested by just an "ordinary guy", donated to an animal rescue center.
Exercise: Walking with Carol along the boardwalk in Tel Aviv, Israel (woo-hoo) (60 mins)

Day 15: Keeping your cool

2011-01-15T06:09:00.003+01:00

Cool Swans, Strasbourg, France, May 2010,

Canon PowerShot S90, 35mm focal length equiv. 85mm, Exposure 1/500 sec @ f4, ISO 160, no flash,

Are you good at keeping your cool? I think I am getting better at it. Of course, one never really knows until tested.

Yesterday, I was tested. Just a work thing. Not really a big deal, but of course, it seems like a big deal at the time. Just like a test. In the end, I think I passed. But it did take some time.

And here's the thing I've learned since my old hot-headed days. Always put kindness first. No matter what, make that your intention. And you will pass the test with flying colors.

Kindness -- by Naomi Shihab Nye

Before you know what kindness really is

you must lose things,

feel the future dissolve in a moment

like salt in a weakened broth.

What you held in your hand,

what you counted and carefully saved,

all this must go

so you know how desolate the landscape can be

between the regions of kindness.

How you ride and ride

thinking the bus will never stop,

the passengers eating maize and chicken

will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,

you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho

lies dead by the side of the road.

You must see how this could be you,

how he too was someone

who journeyed through the night with plans

and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

You must wake up with sorrow.

You must speak to it till your voice

catches the thread of all sorrows

and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,

only kindness that ties your shoes

and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,

only kindness that raises its head

from the crowd of the world to say

it is I you have been looking for,

and then goes with you every where like a shadow or a friend.

Donation: Clothing to Patch Thrift shop
Exercise: Walking with Carol and Frito (105 mins)

Day 14: Colored Shutters

2011-01-14T05:56:00.003+01:00

Colored Shutters, Strasbourg, France, May 2010,

Canon PowerShot S90, 35mm focal length equiv. 85mm, Exposure 1/500 sec @ f5.6, ISO 80, no flash,

So, are you shuttered up? Keeping the world at bay?

Or perhaps you opened the shutters, so you can have a looksee outside, but still safe from the elements behind the windows of your mind.

Or maybe you've gone whole hog, and thrown open your windows and shutters, so that you can breathe in consonance with the world, letting those opinions and perspectives flow through you, such that you are not separate from your world, but indeed, an integral and unseperable part of it.

I encourage you to take this brave step. To lower your defenses, and step bravely into the rich and colorful world around you.

But should you favor TV as your window onto the real world, I offer one small caution from an esteemed philosopher:

"Another possible source of guidance for teenagers is television, but television's message has always been that the need for truth, wisdom and world peace pales by comparison with the need for a toothpaste that offers whiter teeth *and* fresher breath." -- Dave Barry

Donation: To the family of a EUCOM colleague who died unexpectedly, for a trust that is being established in his name.
Exercise: Walking around Patch Barracks (15 mins)

Day 13: The Vanishing Point

2011-01-13T02:06:00.001+01:00

The Vanishing Point, Böblingen, Germany, July 2010,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 27mm, Exposure 1/15 sec @ f10, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias 1.67,

Does anyone remember those spinning paint chambers when you were kids (maybe at the county fair)? They'd put in some white card stock, and then you got to squirt colored paint onto the card, and when you were finished, they'd turn on the spinner. Colored paint would be flung up along the sides of the spinner, and your card would have some sort of unique, radiating, color pattern left on it.

That's what I first think of when I see this photo.

But I also see a vanishing point. The place where all perspective lines converge into oblivion. Or maybe it captures an explosion ... perhaps the first explosion -- the big bang.

Or maybe it is what you see when you accelerate past the speed of light. Or go through a worm hole.

Heck, I dunno. What do you see?

Did anyone guess a picture of a tree canopy? Well that's what it is. Taken while changing the focal length on my zoom lens, with the colors adjusted in iPhoto.

Oh well. I just thought it was cool.

Donation: to a panhandler in London. For some reason I didn't give to the first one that stopped me, and I regretted that (and don't really understand it either).
Exercise: Even more walking in London (90 mins).

Day 12: Got Time?

2011-01-12T07:24:00.001+01:00

Got Time? Landstuhl, Germany, September 2010,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 300mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f4.9, ISO 80, with flash,

So how are you doing for time this morning? Are you rushed? Or relaxed?

I really enjoy getting up early and spending unhurried time reading, reflecting, posting ...

But sometimes, time is short before other commitments kick in, and one must pick and choose what to spend their time on.

So this morning (when I'm somewhat rushed), I'm also mindful of this quote:

The price of anything is the amount of life you give to it.

-- H.D. Thoreau

Here's to spending your time (aka life) wisely.

Donation: The Thoreau Society: Friends of Walden Pond
Exercise: More walking around London (60 mins)

Day 11: Wicked!

2011-01-11T07:17:00.002+01:00

All that remains, Strasbourg, France, May 2010,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 45mm, Exposure 1/160 sec @ f6.3, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -0.33

I'm traveling to the UK right now on business. Last night, after settling into the hotel, I was able to take in a play. A colleague and I saw Wicked! It's a very clever twist on the Wizard of Oz -- basically the backstory on how Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West (oh yeah, and that one that the house fell on) came to be who you meet in the original movie.

Wicked is actually a caring and well-meaning person, but discriminated against and unloved, because she is different (not to mention, green). Yet every good-hearted gesture she performs has unintended consequences that come back to form the perception in others as to who she really is.

But those perceptions are not really who she is, right?

When you strip away all that society has conditioned us to be, when you drop the cultural expectations and patterned responses that you have learned to perform for outside approval, then you will be able to examine all that remains.

And that should be a Wicked cool experience, with I suspect, very Good results.

Donation: To a society for the blind, inside one of the UK's Tube stations
Exercise: Walking around London (45 mins)

Day 10: He loves me, he loves me not

2011-01-10T05:13:00.014+01:00

He loves me, he loves me not, Böblingen, Germany, September 2010,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 25mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f3.3, ISO 200, no flash,

Have you ever picked a flower with petals, and then pulled them off one at a time, enquiring "he (or she) loves me, he loves me not"?

And if you didn't get the answer you were looking for, perhaps you picked another flower and tried again, until you got the "right" answer ;-)

Techniques such as this are actually useful to get at your own subconscious thoughts or beliefs. If it validates your belief, you will likely stop. If not, you will likely want to keep trying (best 2 out of 3? ;-)

What are some of your deep-seated beliefs? Are they serving you well? If so, that's great. But if not, why don't you pick another flower, and begin the process of challenging those beliefs. Deep contemplation and reflection are usually required. But in the end, remember, they are just beliefs -- they are not who you are.

It is your choice -- today, right now -- what beliefs you choose to let guide your journey. Relish your opportunity for deep reflection and wise choices.

Donation: Mothers without Borders. Another good cause pointed to me by Carlo, just an "ordinary guy".
Exercise: An aborted Frito walk with Carol -- Frito heard the woodsman in the forest, and decided to beat a hasty retreat ;-) (30 mins)

Day 9: Take Flight

2011-01-09T06:42:00.020+01:00

Take Flight, Böblingen, Germany, August 2010,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 400mm, Exposure 1/250 sec @ f4.9, ISO 125, no flash,

This morning I have the song, "If I were a carpenter," stuck in my head. Don't ask me why, it's just there. I've learned not to fight it, and just sing along ;-)

Below is a version performed live by Bobby Darin, with lyrics following. After looking for a recording of the song, I came across the backstory of Bobby Darin, who performed this even though quite ill, and unfortunately, later that year, did not survive heart surgery to repair a damaged heart valve. He died at the young age of 37.

It doesn't matter what you do. It only matters that you discover who you are.

Remember your time here is limited. Let your spirit guide you, and then take flight.

And whatever you do ... let your spirit soar.

If I were a carpenter -- written by Tim Hardin

If I were a carpenter

And you were a lady

Would you marry me anyway

Would you have my baby

If a tinker were my trade

Would you still find me

Carrying the pots I'd made

Following behind me

Save my love through loneliness

Save my love for sorrows

I've given you my onliness

Come give me your tomorrows

If I worked my hands in wood

Would you still love me

Answer me babe say "yes I would

I'll put you above me"

If I were a miller

At a mill wheel grinding

Would you miss your colored blouse

Your soft shoe shining

If I were a carpenter

And you were a lady

Would you marry me anyway

Would you have my baby

Would you marry me anyway

And have my babyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Donation: Ultimately to LiveStrong, in memory of my Mom. But really that is part of a CrowdRise donation to honor a friend of the "ordinary guy" that gave me the idea for this whole giving thing. Kinda neat.
Exercise: Run around the Mittlerer Schlossgarten, Unterer Schlossgarten, and Rosensteinpark in the center of Stuttgart -- really beautiful. 8.5 miles (80 mins)

Day 8: The Heavens

2011-01-08T07:41:00.005+01:00

The Heavens, Böblingen, Germany, July 2010,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 27mm, Exposure 1/800 sec @ f14, ISO 200, no flash

You can see where the concepts all came from. If you try to place yourself back in a time more than two, three, or four-thousand years ago.

You look up and see great sights, awe-inspiring starry nights, powerful lightning storms, and of course the amazing power of our natural world. This is where the gods live, and later, apparently just one God.

But we realize that words are just labels, and the labels just identify human concepts. So what would "heaven" really be like, and where does it exist?

How about right here, right now, at this very moment, in a state of mind that is spaceless, timeless, and completely at peace.

Gotta get me to Heaven.

Donation: to Bedford Animal Shelter which is a great place to adopt a pet.
Exercise: Went on a vegetarian tour of Vaihingen and Stuttgart today with Carol and Frito; walked 4.26 miles (110 mins.)

Update #1: Just found these pictures of Earth taken from the International Space Station in my e-mail, and thought they would put the exclamation point on just how far we have come in the past few generations, let alone, a few thousand years. Enjoy.

Update #2: Just remembered this classic that I also thought was somehow appropriate.

Imagine -- John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven,

It's easy if you try,

No hell below us,

Above us only sky,

Imagine all the people

living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,

It isnt hard to do,

Nothing to kill or die for,

No religion too,

Imagine all the people

living life in peace...

Imagine no possesions,

I wonder if you can,

No need for greed or hunger,

A brotherhood of man,

imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,

but Im not the only one,

I hope some day you'll join us,

And the world will live as one.

Day 7: The Window

2011-01-07T05:35:00.008+01:00

The Window, Chapel Kühmatt, Blatten, Switzerland, July 2010,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 49mm, Exposure 1/100 sec @ f5, ISO 200, no flash

Windows are one way we can see the world out there.

Our mental windows are the way we perceive the world "out there". They will filter, color, and distort reality, and influence the images, feelings, and thoughts we create of our situation.

Here's the good news. You can do a little window cleaning any time you like.

Here's one story to help you understand the point I'm trying to make:

The Hospital Window -- Author Unknown

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Donation: Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, NH, preserving open land and walking trails for nature appreciation (suggested by my wife, Carol).
Exercise: After-dinner walk with Frito (35 mins)

Day 6: Storm clouds passing

2011-01-06T05:13:00.005+01:00

Storm Clouds Passing Böblingen, Germany, July 2010,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 24mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f6.3, ISO 200, no flash

What do they say? "Red at night, sailors delight; red in the morning, sailors take warning."

Well clearly then, these storm clouds are passing, so we have clear sailing ahead.

Until the next storm. And so on.

Life's the same way. Can't avoid the storms, but you can be (mentally) prepared to handle them. And then you can flow along with life's vicissitudes, and not be upended by them.

No truer words were ever spoken: "it is what it is." Acceptance is a great path to seeing the beauty in every situation.

Donation: To a wonderfully uplifting organization, called Charity Focus. Sign up for their inspirational newsletters, that will make you think and smile.
Exercise: Abs & Strength class (60 mins); mostly women in this class and let me tell you -- they kicked my butt!

Day 5: After the Rain

2011-01-05T05:37:00.004+01:00

After the Rain, Böblingen, Germany, August 2010,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 25mm, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f4, ISO 80, no flash

Don't like the weather today?

What's not to like? It just is. Not good or bad.

It's so easy to say, "Oh, it is too hot (or rainy or muggy)."

Followed a few months later by "OMG, it's too damn cold (or snowy or icy)."

But that's not really a recipe for happiness, now is it? Kinda the opposite.

Look for acceptance of "what is," and find the beauty in "just this moment."

It's there if you look for it with eyes (and heart) wide open. Promise.

Donation: Appalachian Mountain Club (suggested by my wife, Carol)
Exercise: Vinyasa Yoga class (it's harder than you think ;-)

Day 4: Follow your nose

2011-01-04T04:22:00.003+01:00

Follow Your Nose, Böblingen, Germany, August 2010,

Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 35mm focal length equiv. 25mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f3.3, ISO 100, with flash

I have a habit of rising early in the morning, before anyone else is awake. I like to spend some quiet time, by myself, reflecting and investigating. Sometimes I just "follow my nose" and watch as my e-mail leads me to one web-site, and that to another, pursuing some thread of possible interest.

I will admit -- it can be a time waster. But it can also take you places you would never have come across had you stayed within your typical patterns. It's almost a multimedia "free association" process. I'm sure Sigmund Freud could make lots of observations.

And to what end, this following of one's nose? Well, like my buzzing buddy in the photo -- who knows? Your nose never knows ;-) You may just end up pollinating one friend or another with some of the ideas you learned about, and from that, who knows what flowers might blossom.

So follow your nose, and make some time for serendipity to happen.

Donation: Alzheimer's Association
Exercise: My first ever spin class (60 mins); boy, those guy (and gals) are certainly masochists ;-)